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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · temple · object · racket · chest · jam · stock · can

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. degree — from a university
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stock — goods
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chest — a box
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — an amount
  22. can — a tin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com